Bethink Studio
@bethink.studio
We're experts, innovators, and lifelong learners building future-proof, scaleable websites — and doing digital differently.
We put together a quick, fast, and dirty list of the most critical components and features to test before you launch your website—and shared some advice on how to simplify the process.
Before You Launch Your Website, Do These Quick Quality Assurance Tests | Bethink Studio
A quick, fast, and dirty list of things to review.
bethink.studio
We're proud to celebrate #Juneteenth today—and we're proud to be an agency grounded in values like diversity, equity, and inclusion. Read more from our founder, @bethsoderberg.bsky.social, in this month's Bethink Bee: bethink.studio/happy-junete...
It just feels right that the Internet Archive Press has published a physical book—and that it's an in-depth exploration of the digital artifacts of our cultural history by Luca Messarra, Chris Freeland, and Juliya Ziskina. We've already ordered our copies!
Vanishing Culture: A Report on Our Fragile Cultural Record
A Report on Our Fragile Cultural Record
bookshop.org
We work hard and we play hard, especially when it comes to Tinto—a color game so good that multiple Bethinkers have continued playing several days in a row.
Tinto
Memorize the color. Score as many points as possible.
tinto.rafaelbombana.com
Who gets left behind by the AI hype? And what do we lose when we relentlessly chase shiny, new innovations? These were the questions at the heart of Bethink COO Courtney O’Callaghan’s talk at MCN 2025. And the answers they invoke continue to resonate. Tune in! (It only takes five minutes.)
MCN Ignite 2025 | Courtney OCallaghan
Left Behind by the Hype: What Small Museums Really Need in the Age of AI MCN 2025 Ignite October 20, 2025 Minneapolis, MN http://www.mcn.edu
youtube.com
Today's must-read: This super thoughtful read from data and analytics expert Mariya Mansurova on the proliferation of “vibe coding,” its drawbacks, and real ways to incorporate AI language learning models into coding work.
From Vibe Coding to Spec-Driven Development | Towards Data Science
A 4.5-hour journey from idea to working fitness app with LLM agents
towardsdatascience.com
As soon as we found out that Harvest, our long-time time-tracking tool, was increasing rates exponentially, we got to work picking a new tool. And we're sharing our research and notes so you can, too. Let us help you find the (next) right fit!
Looking for the Perfect Time-Tracking App? Let Us Help. | Bethink Studio
We weren't planning to write this blog. Then we found out that Harvest, our long-time time-tracking tool, is auto-renewing customers at up to 10x their previous fees, without notifying anyone until…
bethink.studio
We are *very* excited to try this Chrome Extension that lets you pull the markup and design of any site into Figma. The next time a client says “I want it to be just like X site, but better,” we'll be ready!
html.to.design
chromewebstore.google.com
This is an exciting step forward for WordPress! The Accessibility Team has released new guidelines for themes to qualify as “accessibility-ready”—and theme authors must comply by June 30 or may be suspended from the theme repository.
WordPress Accessibility Team Overhauls Theme Guidelines for the First Time in 14 Years
The WordPress Accessibility Team has overhauled its theme accessibility-ready guidelines for the first time since 2012. Theme authors have until June 30 to comply.
therepository.email
Cue the Ross GIF! It's time to talk about pivots. Whether it's researching software alternatives as auto-renewals loom or navigating the overwhelming rise of AI, we dig into how to navigate it all with care in the latest Bethink Bee.
The Theme is Pivoting: The Bethink Bee, Issue 8 | Bethink Studio
A close mentor of mine long ago drilled the phrase “monitor and adjust” into my brain.
bethink.studio
And now: A delightful deep dive from Mat Marquis, HTML specification expert, into the evolution of image delivery—and how support for sizes=”auto” will be a game changer.
The end of responsive images
Mat Marquis has waited 14 years to write this article. The sizes attribute has been a necessary evil but now, with an auto value capability, it’s completely transformed authoring responsive images on…
piccalil.li
When you were designing your website, you may not have been focused on the experience of an anxious user. But crafting clear and calm experiences is better for *everyone.*
Designing for people with anxiety - TetraLogical
Most of us will experience anxiety at some point, sometimes triggered by a stressful moment, other times as a chronic condition. By taking thoughtful, intentional steps, we can ensure our designs at…
tetralogical.com
Turns out even the most powerful AI is no match for making a backup, saving it to a hard drive, and hiding it in your sock drawer.
Claude-powered AI coding agent deletes entire company database in 9 seconds — backups zapped, after Cursor tool powered by Anthropic's Claude goes rogue
PocketOS founder blames ‘Cursor running Anthropic's flagship Claude Opus 4.6’ plus Railway’s infrastructure for data disaster.
tomshardware.com
If you also love a good backstory, this piece from designer and typographer @aresluna.org is today's must-read. Let's go deep on the cursor: Where did it come from? Why is it the way it is?
The curse of the cursor – Unsung
A blog about software craft and quality
unsung.aresluna.org
We do digital differently than most agencies—because we don’t want to gatekeep. In other words: We'll happily teach you how to post content, fix little issues, or otherwise generally work on a website. Because what we really want is to to ideate and build, fix novel problems, and be a resource.
We’re Not Gatekeepers: The Bethink Bee, Issue 7 | Bethink Studio
When one of us soars we all soar! Exploring our philosophy of sharing information and continuing to learn together.
bethink.studio
Don't worry: You don't need to manage your Cloudflare account alone. Here are some quick instructions for creating an account—and giving your developer access.
How to Create a Cloudflare Account (and Give a Developer Access) | Bethink Studio
Cloudflare is a great resource for increasing site security, improving speed, and managing DNS records. Here are some quick instructions for creating and sharing access to your account.
bethink.studio
In this month's Bethink Bee: a treasure trove of talks from the archives, a whole lot of color theory, and the power of perspective in web design—and social justice.
The Constructs of Color, Code, and More: The Bethink Bee, Issue 6 | Bethink Studio
bethink.studio
The next time you shrink a window slightly and end up looking at a view meant for a cell phone, let it be a reminder that your website projects need more breakpoints.
The Too Early Breakpoint
An opinion on why we shouldn't switch to the smallest design too early.
ishadeed.com
Before we began using the word to describe our devices, "computer" was a job title for a human being. It's a fact that pokes a hole in the idea that those devices could ever replace us—because we built them to think *like us.*
The Word “Computer” Meant Human… (At Some Point) – Iterative Wonders
If you asked to see a computer in the 1700s, no one would point you to a glowing rectangle. They’d point you to a person. Yes, a human. For centuries, "computer
iterativewonders.com
If you're looking for evidence that good design is all in the details—then look no further.
Detail · Where craft lives
A curated study of the tiny design decisions that make products feel exceptional in AI era. For designers and engineers who believe the small things can make big difference.
detail.design
Calling all self-taught front-end developers! Don't skip these insights into writing better code (and writing code better) from @kilianvalkhof.com.
Programming principles for self taught front-end developers
The majority of us are a bunch of self taught people with rather spotty knowledge and that's fine! Kilian (also self taught) is here to share some of the computer science fundamentals you probably…
piccalil.li
An important reminder: "In a field that keeps changing its tools, the only sustainable advantage is how you think, what you notice and how honest you’re willing to be."
How To Stay Relevant In Marketing Without Chasing Every Shiny Thing
For anyone working in branding, digital marketing or agency land, there are three things worth doubling down on.
forbes.com
Alicia Catherine Mant. Elizabeth Rowse. Margaret Bryan. Anne Young. Abelinde Prince. Abbie T. Hays. Sarah W. Featherstone. Together, they shaped the tradition of gamifying music education—and paved the way for apps like Solfege Story, programs like ToneGym, and even your favorite Guitar Hero set.
The Hidden History of Women Game Designers - JSTOR Daily
Nineteenth-century women turned music lessons into interactive entertainment, complete with spinning wheels and ivory counters.
daily.jstor.org
It's not just SEO anymore. Now it's GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and AEO (Answer Engine Optimization). But some things never change—like the importance of producing content that's clear, unique, and impactful.
A Little Clarity On SEO, GEO, And AEO
Although the debate over SEO versus AEO/GEO continues, there are signs that a consensus is emerging.
searchenginejournal.com
"Humans don’t operate best at machine speed. We think, hesitate, reconsider, and change our minds. Design that ignores this doesn’t make people more efficient — it instead pushes them to move faster than their intent." Loving this ode to friction—and design that lets people think.
Friction by Design - Carl Barenbrug
What gets lost when everything is effortless? For years, good digital design has been framed as the removal of friction. Faster flows. Fewer steps. Instant …
carlbarenbrug.com
Tech was once women-dominated—until the "computer nerd" stereotype began reshaping hiring norms and practices. This Women's History Month, it's worth asking: "What might the 'Computer Girls' of later generations have created if they continued to flood tech and business with their talents?"
How bias pushed the ‘Computer Girls’ out of tech
The tech world was once dominated by women.
businessinsider.com
Ten years, four days—and five newsletters. It's Bethink's birthday, and in the latest Bethink Bee, our founder @bethsoderberg.bsky.social reflected on how it started, how it's going, and how much we all love snacks from Trader Joe's.
Ten Years and Four Days of Bethink
Happy birthday to us!
bethink.studio
"If we want an internet where publishers retain autonomy and readers retain agency, we need to treat RSS not as legacy plumbing but as strategic infrastructure."
Why RSS matters
The future of the web depends on simple, open standards.
werd.io
It takes a lot of (invisible!) work to make a project succeed, run efficiently, and run smoothly. We should all learn how to pay attention differently so we can spot it.
The Invisible Work
The coordination work that holds projects together disappears the moment it works. On the unfairness of recognition and finding leaders who see it anyway.
hvpandya.com
